Santa Croce: Locanda Marinella

A comfortable, clean hotel close to the car-park, bus and train station area of Venice. {3 stars}

I chose this great little 3 star hotel because of two things - price, and proximity to Piazzale Roma, where the buses are, as I had a very early flight to catch. I recommend this hotel wholeheartedly to those on a budget, those who don't have much time in Venice, and those who have to get to the airport early.

Located on a quiet but very un-Venetian looking street, the hotel is extremely close to Piazzale Roma. Those parking at the car park or taking the bus into Venice will find it very easy to get to the hotel. From the hotel, you can also walk to Campo Santa Margherita in about 10 minutes and San Polo in fifteen minutes. Practically every vaporetto stops at Piazzale Roma, as well. However, many travelers would probably prefer the more traditional, historic Venice, which is why I recommend this place to people with certain circumstances.

The rooms are basic and clean, with comfortable beds and spotless bathrooms. My room did not have a tub, only a shower, but a friend who stayed here got a room with a tub. There are hairdryers, televisions, and minibars in the rooms. Breakfast was meager, with cereal, prepackaged pastries and unimpressive coffee, but Venice is peppered with bars and cafes so this is not that big a deal.

The staff are accommodating and friendly, but with limited English. Also, the night staff comes on at 8:00 so make sure to settle the bill and ask for your wake up call beforehand.

I paid €55 per night for a single and my friends paid €70 for a double. This is a very, very good deal for Venice.

Reviewed by: doug from FL, review #982

When: May 2005

Nice quiet small hotel convenient to the vaporetto and the train station. All newly remodeled inside. Wonderful owners.

We found this small hotel online and were a little worried when we turned down the street from the main street ... but were very pleasantly surprised to see the inside.

The room was newly remodeled with all the amenities including hair dryer, towel warmers, mini-bar and cable TV. We overlooked a small garden area. Be prepared, the beds are very firm.

Our hosts, Daniele and Nicole, were great! Nicole gave us a map and showed us a complete walking tour of Venice with all the highlights. As we were near the university side of Venice, we ventured off to the campo near there and had great local experiences in the evenings. We even found the best places to shop, as well.

A word of caution: from the train station this hotel is a 10 minute walk over 3 bridges BUT the bridges are high and all steps. So - if you have a lot of luggage, take the vaporetto one stop from Ferrovia (the train station) to Piazzale Roma and walk south. It is a flat walk except for one small bridge to negotiate. Don't worry, everyone in Venice has the same issues and, unless you feel like paying the big bucks for someone to haul your baggage there, the vaporetto is a great inexpensive alternative. €125/night. We would stay at this hotel again!

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.